32 Trogen WBRF---CUT UP

[OEX]

Well the 32 Trogen was cut up last week---lots of good wood and engines, etc---big waste. While cutting her up the guys were commenting on how strong she was.

The two Owens are in line for next week---please look at the all white Owens---that one is in very good shape!

Bruce WBRF

[sdowney717]

Seems to me most of the posters on this board like only sail boats and not rebuilding old large power cruisers. I keep wondering if high fuel costs come into this thinking. How many can afford a boat that uses 30 to 40 gallons per hour or even trying to go more slowly and burn only 20 gallons an hour or so.
The best mileage I could get out of my twin Internationals is about 1 mile to the gallon and that is simply idling along at about 5 knots. But perhaps not everyone is poor.

Anyone wonder if the fewer remaining production wood boats will increase in value as the scarcity factor increases?

[Granville]

can you post some pictures of the cutting process?

[sdowney717]

At Marina Cove Boat Basin Erlin destroys at least one wooden boat a week. He has a front end loader and basically runs right over it after dropping it from the travelift. He will take the shovel part and dig in pulling away the sides exposing the keel and engines. Many time everything goes into the dumpster, nice pices of bronze, pumps, railings, bronze bolts, screws, all sorts of hardware, gauges, etc... He usually keeps engines shafts and transmssions. 90% of these boats are work boats but I have seen Eggs and Posts go in as well.

[Katherine]

Originally posted by sdowney717:
Seems to me most of the posters on this board like only sail boats and not rebuilding old large power cruisers. Ya know there are a few of us around here. :rolleyes: I have a large wooden cruiser, an Owens no less.

OEX, there is a Owens club that may be able to help find homes for them.

Owens Club (http://www.owensmarqueclub.com/index.htm)

[OEX]

Sdowney---can you get me the yards name? Can you grab your camera and go get pictures of what is left, info, contact addresses and numbers? This is exactly why these boats do not get saved---no one knows they are there or that they are being trashed! Get me in touch with them and if you can't help me I bet I can find some one who might---thanks so much for the word.

Katharine can you pass my info to the club, I am leaving town and do not have time.

cheers

[sdowney717]

Ok, I can post the Marina Name and Phone Number and I can upload a couple pictures of 2 potential boats. One is a wooden sailboat about 30 feet with a wine glass shaped transom. Hull looks good but the upper cabin is rotten. The other is an unusual looking 40 foot 1930's era power boat. I think both will eventually wind up crushed.
Neither one has ever had the owners come by in years. Erhlin wants to crush the 1930's power boat but says the old out of state owner cant stand the idea of his family boat destroyed and keeps on paying the yard fee.
I think many of the boats that are destroyed are brought in from other places. Ehrlin seems to be one of the few in the area with the capacity to do this job and I hear he charges a small fee for this. I'll put pictures up late tommorow.

[carioca1232001]

sdowney717 wrote:


....Seems to me most of the posters on this board like only sail boats and not rebuilding old large power cruisers. I keep wondering if high fuel costs come into this thinking .... Most sailing types I know turn their noses up at power boats. There are some exceptions of course.

No, I do not think that high fuel costs have anything to do with this attitude.

Just an innate feeling of...... superiority, perhaps ? ;)

[Katherine]

Sent the Owens Marque club an email. Currently they also have another Owens on their site that needs rescueing. It's amazing what the human race will throw away. :rolleyes: :(

[Bill Perkins]

carioca1232001 ; it's generally more interesting and fun to sail !

[formerlyknownasprince]

It depends on the boat - I'm doing up a 50' power cruiser and the issue of fuel prices doesn't come into it. Fuel will only ever be a fraction of the total cost.

A cousin said to me before I bought Grantala - "make sure you love it before you buy it" - and that's the way it has to be. I never thought I could "love" a power boat - and when in my 20's, swore I would never own one. Times change.

http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid60/pda2b2790236b30975766f5d09a83c751/fc4b5daa.jpg
Ian

[carioca1232001]

Bill eprkins wrote:


carioca1232001 ; it's generally more interesting and fun to sail ! The couple of times I have been out sailing with friends do attest to what you say.

But if you come to think about it, sailing a boat is not unlike a French waitress in a Parisian bar/restaurant - a rather hectic job :rolleyes:

Very little time to sit back and enjoy a drink and chat with friends ;)

But again, it takes all types to make a world :D

[sdowney717]

OK, here are some pics.
The sailboat is abandoned, washed up on the rocky bank during Hurricane Isabel.

The old 1930's Cruiser has an old out of state owner
who does not want to see the old family boat destroyed. Marina owner says he is superstitious or something.
http://static.flickr.com/28/47815908_809218c36b.jpg?v=0
http://static.flickr.com/25/47815907_45c7337de2.jpg?v=0
http://static.flickr.com/26/47815901_b4e5e8d2b7.jpg?v=0

http://static.flickr.com/29/47815903_a3bb698c81.jpg?v=0
http://static.flickr.com/33/47815905_04329a6fa7.jpg?v=0

[sdowney717]

Sailboat hull looks really good, no breaks and looks extremely strong.

The location is:
Marina Cove Boat Basin
(757) 851-0511
600 Harris Creek Rd
Hampton, VA 23669

http://www.google.com/local?hl=en&hs=7kP&lr=&client=firefox-a&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official&q=marina+cove+boat+basin&ne ar=Hampton,+VA&sa=X&oi=locald&radius=0.0&latlng=37029722,-76345556,3138397418187919407

[Granville]

Mr Downey

I think I used to keep a boat at Marina Cove Boat Basin. It was over 20 years ago. An old man ran the place at the time - they had a lot of derelicts sitting arund. An old hippie every one called "woodchuck" introduced me to boat woodworking there. They used to block most of the boats on 55 gallon drums with old tires on top. You had to take a pretty good drive through some swampy areas to get to the place. Seems like you had to go out a little creek to get to the bay proper. Does any of this sound familiar? The name sounds familiar but Im not sure. I used to love that place. Nothing preterntious about it at that time anyway - I slipped a 30 foot cabin cruiser for $40 a month there.

[sdowney717]

Yes, it sounds like the same place. Ehrlin bought it 5 years ago. The wife of the former owner lives on some land right next to the marina. She has her place up for sale.
The swampy road is still there, but now only gets wet on super high tides. Lots of older boats and lots of waterman there. Off the Chesapeake Bay you enter the Back River and to the left is Harris Creek and the marina. Langley Air Force base is just a little past Marina Cove on the Back River. Fighter planes are in the air a lot and fly low and fast and really loud.

[Granville]

I looked er up on the map too mr downey. thats the spot, and a sweet spot she was. after I bought my boat I hired an air force sergeant who did it part time to paint the name on her. the guy was the best sign painting artist ive ever seen before or since and I have seen a bunch.

i loved that little place. i always dreamed of going back some day and buying it. i'll never have the gumption or money

could you maybe ask around see if any one ever heard of the old hippie called "woodchuck"? he was the first person who ever showed me an issue of wooden boat magazine. he might be gone now. like the boats kept there he was worked hard and usually put away wet. he had an old table saw in a dilapidated shed off to the side there- screwed a skill saw to an old table and used a straight edge and clamps as a fence. he could work wonders with it